North Terrace

I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, representing the Minister for Urban Development and Planning, a question about the shortfall of funding for work on North Terrace.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I refer to an article published in today’s Advertiser which refers to this issue and which states:

Council chief executive officer [of the Adelaide City Council] Mal Hemmerling yesterday confirmed a further $6.5 million was needed to complete thework. Dr Hemmerling said the council could not find the money by itself, which meant the state government would have to be involved.

‘At this stage there is no commitment to finish right through stage one to stage four,’ he said. ‘In view of where we are in the work, it makes logical sense to extend the excellent job. But future stages have to be approved (by the government).’ Dr Hemmerling said the council would soon make a submission to the government seeking extra funding.

My questions are:

1. When did the government first become aware of funding difficulties?

2. How much of the funds allocated have not yet been spent?

Monday 23 May 2005

In reply to Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (26 October 2004).

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: This Government and the Council agreed in 2002 that the project would be staged over a number of years with each party initially only committing to Stage 1 comprising North Terrace, from Kintore Avenue/Gawler Place to Pultney Street.

Project expenditure on Stage 1 of the project stood at $12.866M on 11 March 2005. The estimated completion cost is $14.568M of which this Government is contributing $6.210M.

The Government has met with the Council regarding this issue on numerous occasions over the past year.

There is no funding shortfall as asserted by the Honourable Member. The newspaper article she was quoting was referring to funding for Stage 2 of the project.

The second stage of the project was announced by the Government and the Council on 13 March 2005. Stage 2 will extend the redevelopment works from Pultney Street to Frome Street/Frome Road at an estimated cost of $6.8M, to be shared equally by the parties.

3. Has the government sought a meeting with the Adelaide City Council?

4. To what extent does the government attribute the shortfall?

5. Will the government commit the additional funds required to complete the works?

6. When will we have some sort of announcement from the government on this issue?

The Hon. T.G. ROBERTS (Minister for Aboriginal

Affairs and Reconciliation): I thank the honourable member for her questions. I think we have all seen the benefits of the money that has been spent thus far. The North Terrace precinct is looking decidedly more like a boulevard of which the city can be proud with its connections to the university and its close proximity to the Torrens River. The money that has been spent has been well spent. The project has carried past and through various governments. The Hon. Diana Laidlaw would be proud of it. The only thing she did not do was transfer enough funds to complete the project. That will be a decision made by the current government and I will forward the question to the minister in another place and bring back a reply.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Industry and Trade): I move:

That standing orders be so far suspended as to enable question time to be extended by one hour to enable questions to be asked and replies given relating to the report of the Auditor-General for the year 2003-04.

Motion carried.